Pork Shoulder Aldiavolo Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Trim away any bone slivers from the exposed meat. Remove any visible excess fat. Square up the long sides of the shoulder to make it neat and uniform.
• Place the pork shoulder in a large aluminum pan. (There's no skin to hold the liquid in, as there is on a whole hog, so the pan is necessary to catch the excess liquid.) Inject the shoulder with 2 to 3 quarts of the hog injection, all over the shoulder in about 1-inch squares. Let the injected shoulder sit, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• Turn the shoulder upside-down in the pan, so that any excess injection that might remain infuses the meat. Let it sit upside-down for 15 to 20 minutes.
• In the meantime, heat a smoker to 250˚F.
• Take the shoulder out of the pan and sprinkle the rub all over it, making sure to get the area by the shank. Place the shoulder, in its aluminum pan, in the smoker and cook for 3 hours.
• Remove the shoulder from the smoker. Pour the apple juice into a clean aluminum pan, and transfer the shoulder to the pan. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it in the smoker. Cook for 6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 205˚F.
• Remove the pan from the smoker. Discard the foil. Brush the hog glaze all over both sides of the shoulder. Return the shoulder to the pan, put the pan back in the smoker, and cook for 1 more hour while adding no more heat to the smoker and allowing the internal temperature of the smoker to drop. The shoulder will effectively rest in the smoker this way.
• Remove the pan from the smoker, and serve. Where I'm from, a pork shoulder is not sliced-it's pulled apart in chunks. There are a couple of different ways to do it, with knives and tongs and such, but the very best-and easiest-is with your hands. Wearing heavy-duty gloves, simply pull the meat apart gently and let your guests have at it. You can put it in a sandwich just like this, or you can chop it up after you've pulled it, if you like.
• I used to wonder why this part of the shoulder was called "Boston" anything, since it's so associated with Southern barbecue. The folks from the National Pork Board say it plain: "In prerevolutionary New England and into the Revolutionary War, some pork cuts (not those highly valued, or 'high on the hog,' like loin and ham) were packed into casks or barrels (also known as 'butts') for storage and shipment." So, the way the hog shoulder was cut in the Boston area became known in other regions as "Boston butt."
• Here's a tip from my competitive barbecue cooking that you can use in your backyard. I make a little solution I call "half and half." It's equal parts vinegar sauce and water, and I heat it up until it's hot but not boiling. Then I dip pieces of shoulder in it before I put them in the judging box. Why do I do this? Because it keeps the meat from drying out and getting cold. You always want your meat to stay moist and warm. You can do this at home, too. Before you serve any meat like brisket or pork shoulder, toss it with a little half and half and then put it on a platter. Better yet, apply the solution to the back side of slices of brisket and pork before you place them on a platter. This technique will keep your meat from drying out.

CHIPOTLE-GRILLED PORK SHOULDER STEAKS WITH CORN SALSA

Steps:

• Mix chile powder, oregano, garlic powder, allspice, and 2 tsp. kosher salt in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture all over pork steaks. Let sit at room temperature at least 15 minutes.
• Prepare a grill for medium heat; oil grate. Grill pork and corn, turning occasionally, until pork is deeply charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145°F for medium, and the corn is lightly charred all over, 7-9 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
• Let corn cool slightly. Slice kernels off cobs into a large bowl. Add onion, season with 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, and stir to combine. Stir in cilantro, cheese, pumpkin seeds, and lime juice; taste salsa and season with more kosher salt if needed.
• Transfer pork to a platter. Drizzle any accumulated juices left on cutting board over; sprinkle with sea salt. Top with corn salsa and serve with lime wedges alongside.
• Do Ahead: Pork can be seasoned 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let sit at room temperature 15 minutes before grilling.

PORK SHOULDER WITH PINEAPPLE AND SESAME BROCCOLI

Steps:

• Place a roasting pan in oven; preheat to 450°F. Cut shoulder into four 1"-thick steaks; season with salt. Whisk ginger, garlic, 1 Tbsp. vinegar, and 1 Tbsp. soy sauce in a small bowl. Set both aside.
• Remove stalk from broccoli. Peel, trim, and slice into 1/4"-thick planks. Divide broccoli into large florets. Blanch stems and florets in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until bright green, about 10 seconds. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet; let cool. Pat dry and toss in a medium bowl with shallots, olive oil, and sesame seeds; season with salt.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Cook reserved pork, undisturbed, until deep golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 135°F-140°F for medium, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes.
• Pour off fat from skillet and cook pineapple, tossing often and adding a splash or so of water if needed to keep mixture saucy, until slightly softened and browned in spots, about 3 minutes. Add 1 Tbsp. butter along with any pork juices on cutting board; toss until sauce is glossy and emulsified. Stir in remaining 2 tsp. vinegar and soy sauce. Season with salt.
• Meanwhile, transfer broccoli mixture to hot roasting pan. Roast until lightly browned but still crisp-tender, 8-10 minutes. Add to reserved dressing and toss to coat; season with salt. Serve pork with pineapple and broccoli.

GARLIC-ROASTED PORK SHOULDER

Steps:

• Mash garlic to a paste with 2 tablespoons kosher salt using a mortar and pestle or side of a large heavy knife, then stir in oregano, vinegar, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon pepper.
• Pat pork dry. Using a small sharp knife, cut a wide pocket at large end of roast to separate skin from fat, leaving skin attached at sides and stopping before roast narrows to bone.
• Make 1-inch-deep slits in pork under skin and on all meaty sides, twisting knife slightly to widen openings, then push some of garlic mixture into slits with your fingers. Rub any remaining garlic mixture over roast (not skin). Wipe skin clean, then rub with remaining teaspoon kosher salt (to help it crisp). Transfer pork to a glass or ceramic shallow dish and marinate, covered and chilled, at least 8 hours.
• Put pork, skin side up, in a flameproof roasting pan, discarding marinade, and bring to room temperature, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
• Cover pork with parchment paper and then tightly with foil and roast 2 1/2 hours. Discard foil and parchment, then add 1/2 cup water to pan and roast, uncovered, adding more water when liquid in pan evaporates (check about every half hour), until skin is browned and crisp and meat is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours more. Transfer to a cutting board or platter, reserving juices in pan, and let stand 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour pan juices through a sieve into a fat separator or bowl and discard fat. Add 3/4 cup water to roasting pan and deglaze by boiling over medium-high heat (straddle 2 burners if necessary), scraping up brown bits, 1 minute, then add to pan juices along with enough water to bring total to 1 1/2 cups.
• Cut skin off roast pork. (If skin is not crisp, roast in a shallow baking pan in a 475°F oven until crisp, about 10 minutes.) Cut skin into serving pieces. Pull meat from roast in pieces using a fork. Serve meat with pan juices and pork skin.